Growing - mentally, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually
advancing from one stage of development, understanding and maturity to another.
No, that’s not our dear friend, Webster, that’s my
definition of growing when it comes to people. Growing is important to me; it
keeps my mind from drowning in a quagmire of worn out opinions and stagnated
mentalities. Just as a shark must keep moving forward to live, I must continue
to learn. I need it like I need oxygen.
Growing old, however, is certainly not for the faint of
heart. It takes courage to get up every day when you know your body may not
comply with simple requests and groans with new aches and pains you didn’t have
the day before. Yes, indeed, courage is required!
One of the perks from growing older I’ve discovered is the
freedom it brings. That may sound contradictory when you’re limited in various
ways but it does bring freedom. You become free of concern for other people’s
opinions. Who cares if they do not like your choice of dress or lifestyle?
Pfsst! You want to take a nap at 8am, go for it! People will just chalk it up
to you being old anyway. I never was one that got into ‘shoes’ like a lot of people
do but years ago I decided comfort over fashion was the way to go! This was not
appreciated before by my husband who was one of those ‘shoe’ people, but
he either gave up on me or has gotten old enough now to see the wisdom in my ways.
If comfy shoes only come in ‘ugly’, then ugly it is! The fashion police do not
concern me now that I’ve grown older.
Another freedom I enjoy from this stage in life is having
learned enough to know I cannot change other people no matter how stupid their
position and/or stand OR how much I want to. I’ve learned to allow others to wallow
in their own mess. I didn’t get this old by being stupid, even if some of my
choices over the years were stupid. If no one wants to benefit from the hard
earned wisdom I’ve scraped together from the fallout from multitude mistakes I’ve
made…okay. They can scrape together their own wisdom from their mistakes. I get
it now. It’s not that I don’t care, or want to help or have opinions, I’ve got
plenty to spare, but people do not usually listen with appreciation when they
are shared. I WILL share, but I do not lose sleep over their not taking my
advice. My heart will ache with them in their time of inevitable pain and
regret, I will cry with and for them, but I am free from feeling responsible
for other people and the choices they make. That’s a biggie! I will help where
and when I can, I will pray for them always but they alone are responsible for
their choices and actions.
Though I have acquired much appreciated freedom in growing
older, it is not age or wisdom that gave me the ultimate freedom. That came from
my Savior. I am free from sin, death, and condemnation only because of the
freedom He gave me through His sacrifice. Now THAT’S freedom!
John 8:36 So if
the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
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